Friends To The Death
by Isali Shade
Summary: After being saved from a certain death Tzuga finds himself trapped as a member of one out of four gladiator teams. Together with his team mates he must fight Alliance as well as Horde gladiators to survive. But his past haunts him and he is forced to realize that he needs to open his broken heart and terrified mind and befriend his team mates, or perish in his own despair.


**Author's note:** First published fan-fic. Apologies for the summary, it is the first I've written. Hope you enjoy reading this. Feel free to R&R!

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Ked watched the brawl from where he was standing with his comrades by the target dummies. The new elf had just arrived and the orc Su'fah had already fixed his eyes on the opportunity in slaying yet another person.

Su'fah was a fierce and merciless fighter and Ked knew the moment he saw that satisfied grin on Su'fah's face that this would end badly. More than once had Ked wondered why he hadn't escaped yet; he would surely succeed if he tried.

Su'fah was larger and stronger than an average orc but also dumber, to Ked's amusement and relief. He stood as a cocky mountain against the elf's poor attempts in knocking him to the ground and with one powerful blow he sent the newcomer heavily to the ground.

It had only taken a few moments for a crowd to gather around the two brawlers. The guards stood by the locked door and simply watched in amusement. They rarely raised a finger in a newcomer's defence, only watched and waited for the kill or the save. That was how it worked; eight members in each of the four teams, when new-blood arrived it was either killed or taken into a team. Should the team have more than eight members they had to get rid of one. If they refused the new one and another would battle for the spot. Those were the rules.

Ked watched as Su'fah backhanded the elf, causing him to stumble to the ground. "I'll break every bone in your body," Su'fah mocked.

The elf got on his feet, spitting blood on the ground before he faced the orc. "Bring it on," he said.

Ked couldn't help but to grin. He couldn't tell whether the elf was brave or just a fool but he admired him. Standing before Su'fah would bring other orcs into hesitation, but he – who's body was twice as thin as Ked's – stood his ground. "Look at that," he said and nodded towards the fight.

Ilima, an undead woman and one of his comrades, turned and scowled. "Is that the new one?"

"Who else would keep trying to take Su'fah on?" Temeliv, a blood elf, snapped only sparing the brawl a glance before slashing out at her dummy. A thud was heard as her sword struck the wooden surface. "Stupid sword," she muttered behind them.

There was a forth member of their team by those dummies; his name was Ledom, an undead standing silently not far from Temeliv. He was always silent, Ked and the others believed him mute for that reason, but despite his assumed incapability to speak he was an excellent rogue.

Ilima took a step closer to Ked, lowering her voice, as Su'fah dealt another humiliating blow at the elf. "Ked, you know how this will end."

Ked sighed. "Yes."

"We're in need of an eighth member," Ilima continued.

"Yeah, since your husband left us," Temeliv snapped and pulled her sword out of the dummy.

Ilima's gaze darkened for a moment. "He seems capable of fighting."

"Going in to save him is hardly worth," Temeliv pointed. "It's Su'fah we're talking about."

"It's always Su'fah," Ilima retorted. "For how much longer should we be one short?"

Temeliv shrugged. "Why don't they just put someone in our team?"

"They surely have some genius idea of why they are doing it this way," Ked growled before taking the first step towards the brawlers.

"I know how this will end," he heard Temeliv murmur. Truth be told, so did he; he knew chances were he would be killed but hopefully the guards would see his intentions and stop it in time.

Ked took a few quick steps before he slammed his body into Su'fah's causing the larger orc to stumble to the side, stopping him from kicking the beaten elf on the ground. "Pick on someone in your own size," Ked said as Su'fah glared at him.

"Someone like you I take it," Su'fah growled in anger.

Ked didn't answer, just threw his weapon to the side. Fist-fights were allowed in the training ground but any fights with weapons or magic outside of the ring was forbidden and punishable with something akin to torture. Ked didn't know, he had never ended up in such a situation and he didn't intend on doing so either.

He glanced over his shoulder when he noticed someone move. Ilima was carefully making her way to the elf, helping him to his feet as she took his arm.

The elf bent over and grimaced in pain as his arm pressed to his side. "M-my ribs," he got up. The next moment Su'fah roared and Ked was sent to the ground when Su'fah's fist connected with his cheek. He could hear it crack as he fell and by the power he thought it would fly off. Thankfully it didn't.

"Get up!" he heard Ilima squall.

He groaned in pain as he rose. Dodging the incoming strike he took aim at Su'fah's chest and struck out with his fist towards the ribs. Su'fah groaned but soon countered with his fist. Ked barely managed to block it with his arms forming a shield before his face. A kick came next and forced him out of balance. Su'fah took the chance and his fist struck Ked's chin from below.

Again Ked thought something would break and he would've bit off his tongue if it had been between his teeth. Helplessly he fell to the ground, pain pounding in his entire skull.

"Is that all you've got?" Su'fah mocked and stepped closer to Ked. Grabbing him by the neck Su'fah forced him to his feet. Whatever he had planned to do was interrupted by a heavy force of dark magic, sending him across the room into a weapon rack.

Ked sank to his knees, gasping, and everything around him stopped. Gazes went between Su'fah and Temeliv as Ked looked up to see her frightened yet determined face.

"No," Ilima breathed and her eyelids fell.

Gazing towards the guards he found them talking for a moment before they nodded and made their way over to Temeliv. He quickly looked up at her. "You shouldn't have-" he got up. She bit her lip but said nothing. She didn't fight the guards as they forcefully led her out of the training ground and into the cold corridor.

The heavy silence was broken by Su'fah's laugh. "Fools! Was that elf really worth saving?"

Ilima glanced at the elf then looked at Tzuga. "We'll see," she murmured silently and pulled him with her to where Ledom stood, watching the door through which the guards and Temeliv had gone.

Ked slammed his fist at the ground and swore.

"Get up," a firm voice said beside him. Karlah, the second orc in his team and the one who could be considered the leader, stood by him, face grave and blue eyes blazing in anger.

Ked growled as he stood. She immediately grabbed him by the collar of his leather shirt, pulling him closer. "What the hell was that all about?"

"An eighth member, I would guess," Ked retorted.

"So instead of having Temeliv with us we have this sorry piece of-"

"Do you think I wanted Temeliv to do what she did?" Ked interrupted and slapped her hand away. Head pounding he walked over to his weapon and picked it up before returning to his dummy. He looked at Ilima and the newcomer. Ilima met his gaze. "Some broken bones and I would guess some inner bleeding, nothing May can't fix once we are returned to the cell," she said.

Ked nodded, studying the blond elf for a moment before he turned to his dummy and struck out in rage.

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First chapter done. Though I'd call it more of a prologue. Hope you enjoyed it!


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